


Need for Nap

by Okumen



Category: Countdown 7 Days
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 17:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2033163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okumen/pseuds/Okumen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late one afternoon, Akito finds his son napping in the principal's office.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Side: Akito

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a little two-part thing set at the end of the manga, with one part for Akito, and one for Hokuto. Also I can't with titles, so it's sort of... random.

It's a surprise, Akito thinks, when he sees his son curled up on one of the couches in the principal's office. He doesn't really know how Hokuto manages to break into his office time and again, but it's a nice surprise, each rare time that the vice-principal chooses to take a nap in his father's office, rather than in his own or in the infirmary.

It warms Akito's heart is what it does, and it makes him smile.

The younger spirit has one hand tucked under his cheek, and a foot hooked lightly around a leg. It's a nostalgic sight, one that Akito remembers from when they were alive, when Hokuto was just a tiny little child. He looks so relaxed and off guard, and for a brief moment, Akito really sees the image of the little child that Hokuto once was. But the boy is now a man, and doesn't run at him for a hug when he comes into the room any more. Now, Hokuto is a snarky young man who, rather than laugh, rolls his eyes at his father's antics, and he won't ever grow old.

It's a bit sad, really. Akito always wanted to see what his son would be like, and look like, as he got older. But he's stopped growing up, and won't ever age again. He died too young, but at least Akito can still be by his side.

Akito doesn't notice that he's been watching his son for many minutes until the boy shifts, and the murky shadows of the swirly skies hits his face. Hokuto must have pulled down and parted the blinds before going to sleep, Akito notes, as he walks across the room and silently slides open a cabinet to pull out a bundle of fabric. He doesn't take naps in here himself, but sometimes a blanket or two turns out to be useful to have, as in this situation. Because he doesn't want to wake his son up, since he has been working so hard the past week or so. He deserves a nap, and Akito is going to let him sleep in here if he now wants to.

Unfolding the blanket, Akito spreads it over his son's form, carefully tucking him in. He then pauses in a crouch, and runs a hand through Hokuto's dark, messy hair. He is so cute and handsome, his precious little son, and he makes Akito so infinitely proud, both as his father, and as his superior.

Disturbed despite Akito's intentions, Hokuto rolls over on the couch, and blearily opens his eyes, blinking slowly. Then he yawns, a fist coming to cover his mouth, and Akito smiles when he sees it. "Daddy?" Hokuto murmurs, and Akito is so surprised that he thinks he's about to have a heart attack. (Can spirits even have heart attacks?) "Hokuto," he gently murmurs, once more combing trough his hair. "is daddy's office a napping spot?"  
Hokuto rubs his eyes with the back of his hand, not really all awake yet. "What?" And Akito only smiles wider, more of that warmth spreading inside of him. "Hokuto, you know what?" he brushes a palm against his son's cheek. "I love you so much."

For a few moments, Hokuto simply looks at him, drunken tiredness clear on his face, but then he buries his face against the leather of the couch, hiding his face from sight. Akito chuckles fondly, because he knows that Hokuto does that to hide an embarrassed smile. "So very much." he repeats, and then he stands, deciding to leave his little boy alone to catch some more well-deserved rest. When he's at the door, he hears Hokuto move, and looks over his shoulder to see that his vice-principal has pulled the blanket over his head.

"Dad...." The voice is barely audible, but Akito manages to catch it. He's almost sure that Hokuto is speaking in such a quiet voice because he doesn't want his dad to hear him. Or because he's not entirely sure if he wants to. "I... love you too." Akito feels his face heat up, and how his smile turns very goofy, as he closes the door behind him.


	2. Side: Hokuto

When Hokuto comes home in the evening, he can detect the scent of curry in the air, and as he slips off his shoes and hangs off his coat on the coat rack, he notices that he can hear a sound. He wanders into the house, following the sound. It leads him to the kitchen, and he sees how his dad is sitting on a chair, slumped over the table with his head halfway onto a plate.

After closer inspection, Hokuto sees that the china is empty of food, so at least his dad won't end up commenting on how he would smell like curry all night long. The reason for the scent is the pots that stands on the table. Food that is slowly getting colder from the time since it must have been made, Hokuto notes as he lifts a lid and sees rice in a pot, and, going on to the next one, he sees a concoction of his dad's mixture for beef-curry.

Glancing back up at Akito, Hokuto watches the rise and fall of his dad's back, and listens to the slow breathing, mixed with the light sound of snoring. He smiles a little to himself, and shakes his head. Akito always snores when he sits up and sleeps, and no matter how many times Hokuto tells him not to sleep that way, he just doesn't listen. Every time Akito comes home before Hokuto, the older spirit waits excitedly for his son's return, as if he's not at all seen him at work just a few hours ago.

It actually makes him happy, despite how he doesn't tell his dad about it.

Because while Hokuto might pretend to be a brat that doesn't in particular care what his dad thinks, he's glad to be by his side again. Maybe they weren't parted for very long, considering they had been spirits for much longer, but those years where he had been alone had really been lonely. And he never considered living anywhere else than with his dad, even if he said he didn't want to do that, and that he'd rather live anywhere but with him. If he actually disliked his dad, he wouldn't still live with him, after all these years since he first came to Sheol. But he does care about his dad, and knows that he'd be sad and lonely if he lived alone.

"Really though, old man," he puts the lids to the side, and picks up the plate that his dad had put out on the table for him. "if you're tired, just go to bed. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Probably even more than he already have - though, to be honest, half the time he told Akito to just go to bed instead of staying up waiting, Akito has been asleep like this. By the kitchen table, in the living room couch, or even by the bathtub. Not in it, thankfully, because Hokuto doesn't know if spirits can drown or not. It's probably for the best that his father hasn't ended up trying that one out. Or that he hasn't fallen asleep in the middle of cooking, or else he might have set their home on fire.

After serving himself food, he puts it in the microwave, and, after some moments of consideration, he pulls his phone from his pants pocket, snapping a picture for his collection of his dad doing stupid things. When he has replaced the phone, he slips the plate out from under his dad's head, carefully putting his head down against the tablecloth instead. He could move him to the man's bedroom, of course, but he decides against it, because it's too much of an effort. Instead, he scoops up a helping of rice and curry on the plate, and when his own food is ¨heated, he puts in the other plate in its place. Heading for the fridge, he takes two cans from it, and presses one of the cool metal containers against his dad's cheek. His father jumps as he is startled awake from he cold, and looks up at Hokuto in confusion.

"Morning, mister Principal." Hokuto says, putting the beer cans down on the table. Akito rubs the suddenly cold spot of his skin, a light frown on his face. "Hokuto, that's a really rude way of waking someone up." he comments sulkily.

Hokuto snorts. "Says you. I'll stop with the rude wake-up calls when you stop with the creepy ones, dad." His dad makes a displeased sound, but then smiles. "Cuddling you is not at all creepy, child," he comments, and Hokuto rolls his eyes. "Yeah right." Maybe if he didn't do it over and over, at completely random times during the night and morning and every time he came home from work after Hokuto had already gone to bed.

The microwave pings its presence known, and Hokuto fetches the plate from it, wrinkling his nose as he almost puts a finger through a piece of banana. He puts down the plate, and Akito sits up straight in the chair, finally. Then he watches as Hokuto sits down, and expectantly watches his son. Already knowing what he wants, Hokuto sighs and picks up his spoon, shoving a mouthful of rice and curry into his mouth. He watches from the corner of his eye as Akito waits, and after a few moments - excruciatingly long for his dad, Hokuto is sure - he scoops another piece of food onto the spoon. "It's good, isn't it?" he says, and his dad almost sparkles.

 _He doesn't have to get that happy every time I say I like his food..._ It's childish of Akito, really. That's what Hokuto has told him before, but he likes seeing his dad happy, despite what he might say. It might get annoying at a lot of times, but he loves his dad, despite how annoying he can be. So, well, whatever, right?


End file.
